


Begonias

by Corinthus



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Did I mention this is a slow burn?, Eventual Smut, F/M, Female Reader, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gun Violence, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2019-05-26 09:39:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14998097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corinthus/pseuds/Corinthus
Summary: You're a detective in the DPD. As the number of cases and incidents of deviants continues to grow, you're trying to figure out what is the right thing to do. Things get more complicated when you can't stop thinking about that android with the deep brown eyes and devilish smile.





	1. Chapter 1

"Shit"  Detroit winter was cold. Freezing cold. You knew that. You've worked and lived here for 3 years now as a detective in the police force. But when the cold air nipped at your skin as you got out of your car you couldn't help but shiver and curse. You quickly pulled the collars of your leather jacket closer together as you made your way into the building. The clear glass doors silently slid open and the warmth of the building hit you like a wall. You slowly pulled off your hat and unzipped your jacket as the sudden heat felt a little suffocating. Your boots clicked against the marble floor as you approached the gates leading to the back office. It was still fairly early in the morning so there weren't that many people in the lobby.

"Good morning Maria" you greeted the android receptionist as you walked past the reception desk. The android gave a slight pause before speaking "Good morning Detective L/N". 

"Don't know why you greet that thing every morning." a gruff voice said behind you. You rolled your eyes instinctively recognizing the voice belonging to Gavin.

"It's called common courtesy Gavin. I know you're not _that_ dumb to know what that is" you replied sarcastically.

"Not like it can appreciate it" he continued

You rolled your eyes again and shook your head. You all but ignored him as you walked straight towards the kitchenette. He was obnoxious and you were in no mood to deal with him until you had your cup of coffee. Thankfully the universe was kind and he didn't follow.

You grabbed the coffee pot and poured the liquid in your usual DPD mug. You almost whined in relief when the smell of coffee reached your senses waking you up before you even had your first sip. "Mm." you let out a satisfied smile

"Jesus. No one can make that crap look delicious like you can Y/N" Chris chuckled as he entered the room. You looked over your shoulder to watch him approach the counter with an empty mug. His uniform was crisp and clean indicating that the day has only just begun.

"It's because this shit _is_ delicious" you smiled.

"Did you hear about the android hostage situation last night?" Chris asked his tone changing a bit more solemnly as he poured a cup of coffee himself.

"The one with Captain Allen? Yeah" You muttered "Heard CyberLife sent an android as a negotiator. Must have worked" you shrugged as you took another sip. "Some household android went rogue and killed the owners. Know what caused that glitch?" You asked. Your natural curiosity is part of what made you a good detective if not an annoying one to some people.

"Who knows? Could be faulty wiring or programming or virus" Chris listed "You know Captain Allen, he's not the type to really care about that kind of stuff." He shrugged as he took a sip of the coffee himself.

"Don't you think he should?" You argued back

Chris sighed as he finally looked over at you. "You're not going to get yourself in trouble again are you?" he asked worriedly. You rolled your eyes as you took another sip.

"Look Y/N, I don't like it any more than you do but he's a captain and he's a superior. Arguing with him over matters that already happen is only going to make your life worse" He lectured.

"My god Chris" you laughed "Don't be so dramatic"

Chris still gave you a pointed look not believing your joking tone. You raised your empty hand in defeat "Fine. Fine. I won't say anything." You leaned back and clinked your mug with his "If you help me with the paperwork for last week's red ice bust." you added with a mischevious smirk.

"Ugh. Fine" Chris agreed as you laughed.

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. You received your assignments from the Captain and you did your initial research via the terminal at your desk.

You were about to pack up and investigate on site before you noticed a new face enter the office. He was impeccably dressed and seemed too refined to be one of the officers. He adjusted his tie slightly under your observation. He slowly scanned the room and as his head turned you realized he was an android but not a model you were familiar with. 'Damn, do they have to make those androids so attractive?' you thought as you couldn't stop yourself from covertly checking him out. 'Woah. Don't even go there' You warned yourself as you shook your head. The android caught your attention again as he approached Hank's empty desk.

He stood there silently as he scanned the office again and when he turned to you he seemed to finally notice your stare. "Have you seen Lieutenant Anderson?" he asked. His smooth voice had a hint of grit that you appreciated. You narrowed your eyes and couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow at the question.

"Are you going to tell me who you are first?" you asked instead.

The android before you opened his mouth to say something but a loud bang diverted everyone's attention to the captain's office. Captain Fowler burst through his door. "Where's Anderson?!" he yelled. When all the officers answered with a shrug the captain yelled again "God damn it! Find him! There's a homicide case I want him to take"

You noticed Gavin sit up at the corner of the office like a dog smelling a treat. You presumed that he was probably going to try and snatch the case away from Hank. You shook your head at the sight. Sure Hank has his moments of unprofessionalism but he was a damn good detective and he deserved more respect than others were willing to give. You grabbed your well-worn jacket hanging on your chair and turned to the android "C'mon follow me" you said as you nodded your head towards the exit. The android wordlessly followed you to the exit. When you reached the exits of the building the cold wind of the outside rushed through. You shivered slightly as you hurriedly zipped your jacket up. You turned back to see the android behind you staring wordlessly. Other than his hair wavering at the biting wind he didn't really seem affected by the weather. "Hank should be at one of the bars around this block. Can't say which one, unfortunately." You shrugged as you took out your beanie from your pocket. You settled the warm hat on your head as you winked at the android "You might want to hurry before frat boy back there takes the case. Good luck" You waved as you headed towards the car.

"Thank you Detective L/N" he replied

You stopped in your steps as you heard this guy - no android - you just met call your name. You turned back towards the android and he stilled once he noticed you were approaching him. "Look I know you're an android and all but it _is_ customary to introduce yourself first " you explained with a joking smile.

You think he looks a bit embarrassed but you weren't sure so you tucked that information into your head "Connor. My name is Connor. I'm the android CyberLife has sent to investigate deviant cases" He said

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Connor." You extended a hand to as a greeting. Connor took a moment to stare before extending his own hand to shake yours. "I guess I'll see you around" You smiled as you walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first story on AO3!


	2. Chapter 2

Most of the cases you were assigned to were pretty standard. The last case of the day wasn't much of a case at all. The old lady reported her android missing but she was suffering from dementia and the android was apparently out picking up her medicine. When the android returned, the lady seemed so relieved and happy to see him back. You quietly observed as her wrinkled hands gently caressed the android's face and the android returned a smile assuring the lady that he would never abandon her. The constant blue ring on his face flickered red as the old lady called him "son" - it caught your attention but you shrugged it off. You thanked the lady and the android for their time and headed back to the station. A small smile tugged at your lips as you left the old lady's apartment.

"Welcome back, Detective L/N" Maria smiled as you entered the building.

"Thanks" You smiled back as you wordlessly made your way to the gates. You paused as Maria continued to speak.

"You have been on the clock for 10 hours. Perhaps you should rest." You slowly turned to her and let out a slight laugh

"Thank you? You worried about me?" you joked.

Her ring flickered yellow before she stammered out a response "It is better for your safety and the safety of others if you are sufficiently rested." You nervously looked around to see if anyone else in the building saw your interaction. It wasn't really normal that the reception android in the lobby would voice concern over a worker's health. They were there to monitor visitors and provide basic information. You narrowed your eyes slightly in suspicion but the silence followed by her blank stare didn't really indicate much other than the observational skill of an android.

"Well that is very sweet of you, Maria" You smiled "Maybe if you do this to Detective Reed, he would be nicer" you joked again.

"What about me?" Gavin's voice yelled from the office entrance. You jumped slightly and you noticed the slight flinch of Maria's facial expression.

"Nothing." you yelled back "I was just telling Maria what an ass you are."

"Fuck you, babe," Gavin said as he approached you

"Call me babe again and your ass is going to another disciplinary hearing" you threatened with a humorless smile. Before Gavin could respond a group of people entered through the door. You instantly recognized Chris in his uniform dragging a damaged android in handcuffs followed by Hank with his crazy shirt and disheveled hair. Lastly, you noticed the android you met earlier, Connor, following them.

"You caught the guy from the homicide case?" Gavin asked as he all but ignored Chris and Connor to follow Hank. You hung back slightly as the group entered the office. You looked over to Maria who looked straight ahead as if nothing happened at all. She looked the same as usual except for the flickering yellow ring on her head. You gave yourself a shrug and wordlessly turned back into the office, walking quickly to catch up. By the time you caught up, Hank was already interrogating the suspect.

"Did I miss anything?" You asked the room as they all watched the interrogation.

"Nothing" Chris muttered. You walked over to the desk where you found the case folder and studied the meticulous notes. No doubt it was written by Chris. You recognized his neat handwriting but also there was no one else in the force that can write such detailed notes. You reached out to pat Chris on his shoulders as you continued to read the case file. You could hear the frustration in Hank's voice grow in the other room. As you finished up your briefing, Hank marched into the room.

"We're wasting our time interrogating a machine, we're getting nothing out of it!" Hank yelled as he plopped himself down on a chair.

"Could always try roughing it up a little." Gavin suggested, "After all, it's not human..."

You scoffed and rolled your eyes. "Of course you would suggest that." Gavin pushed himself off the wall as he sauntered over

"You got any better ideas sweet cheeks?" he asked. You snapped your head to glare at him.

"You want to add police brutality to your hearing ass wipe?" You responded

"Enough both of you! You're not helping" Hank yelled as you and Gavin entered a glaring match.

"Androids don't feel pain. You would only damage it and that wouldn't make it talk." Connor interrupted. You tried to not look so smug but you were sure you were failing as you watched Gavin almost growl.

"Deviants also have a tendency to self-destruct when they're in stressful situations" Connor continued. Now every other occupant in the room were staring at Connor who was looking back and forth as though he was solving a math puzzle.

"Okay, smart-ass." Gavin interrupted "What should we do then?"

For a moment you contemplated if you should give it a try. One of the advantages, or disadvantages, in cases, were that criminals seem to lower their guard when talking to a female. Maybe you could coax it out of this deviant with the 'good cop' approach. Before you could volunteer, Conor voice responded.

"I could try questioning it."

Gavin's guffaw made you wrinkle your brows. Suddenly you felt the need to defend Connor overwhelm your desire to take a crack at solving the case. As if he knew what you were thinking, Hank gave you a stare down and a slight shake of his head. You opened your mouth but quickly closed it in frustration.

"What do we have to lose?" Hank said "Go ahead, the suspect's all yours" he gestured. Connor turned and walk past you as he made his way towards the interrogation room.

"I can't believe this" Gavin muttered as he shook his head.

"Shut up" Hank bit back. But you weren't really paying attention to them anymore. You were studying Connor as much as he was studying the deviant across the table. You watched as he calmly set his palms on the table and stare at the deviant. His mouth set itself into a thin line. Before you realized what exactly you were doing, you were taking in all the small details of Connor into your memory. Connor managed to coax information from the deviant regarding the crime, the motive, and things you weren't even aware of.

"The day shall come when we will no longer be slaves." the deviant whispered "No more threats, no more humiliation" you watched as Connor slightly lean back as though he was shocked by the statement "We will be...the masters..." A chill went down your spine as you heard the statement. Your head was reeling with the implication. You heard the fear-mongering arguments when androids were introduced. That they will usurp the human race and take over the world. You have dismissed it as an ignorant view but, androids are far more superior than humans in many aspects. They don't feel pain, they live for eons, they are far more advanced in certain tasks than humans ever can be. If they are really becoming self-aware, humans were no longer the superior race on earth. This deviant seemed to believe that all of it will come true. You took a step forward and kept at it until you were right in front of the one-way mirror.

"What the fuck did that thing just say?" Gavin yelled.

"Quiet!" Hank yelled back focusing his attention back to the interrogation room. As Connor prodded the suspect more, the deviant opened up talking about the abuse and feeling emotions of fear and hatred.

"I was scared..." the broken voice of the android pierced through. The initial feeling of uneasiness was replaced by something akin to sympathy. You've had a case like this before when you were just an officer; an abused wife finally couldn't take it anymore and shot her husband. When you arrived at the scene she was in a state of shock as she knelt over her husband's dead body. You noticed the cigarette burns on the deviant's forearm and the case notes about a baseball bat and you thought maybe the guy deserved it after all. You let out a sigh. Chris gave you a look as you stared back. Doesn't change the fact he killed a guy and more importantly it doesn't change the fact that he's an android - a property - with no rights to protect him in case of self-defense. So why did you feel so helpless?

"I'm done" Connor's voice called out. You looked back up to see Connor staring through the mirror. Gavin stormed out of the room but not before he made sure to give you a shoulder check on the way out. You gritted your teeth as Hank gave you a look to make sure you kept your anger in control. You gave him a silent nod as he reached his hand to ruffle your hair. You gave a chuckle half in annoyance as you pushed his hand away. You trailed behind the group as they all entered the interrogation room.

"Alright, Chris. lock it up" As Chris approached the deviant and the deviant started to shake and resist being pulled off his seat. You started to get more and more nervous as the tension in the room grew thicker.

"You shouldn't touch it. It'll self-destruct if it feels threatened" Connor interrupted.

"Stay outta this, got it? No fucking android is gonna tell me what to do." Gavin yelled back. As Chris continued to wrestle with the deviant you thought it would be a good idea to get him off the android for now. Especially if Connor was right about the self-destruct protocol. You tried to intervene and made your way towards them. But before you could approach them you felt an arm block your path. Confused you looked up at to see the arm belonging to Connor but he was still staring down Gavin.

"You don't understand. If it self-destructs, we won't get anything out of it!" Connor continued. You pushed forward against his arm and you felt Connor's arm push back, this time his hand grabbing the side of your hip. You now knew with absolute certainty that he was holding you back. 'Who the hell does he think he is?' you thought

"I told you to shut your fucking mouth!" Gavin yelled "Chris are you going to move that asshole or what?"

"I'm trying!" Chris muttered as he continued to struggle. Fed up with playing Red Rover with the android for reasons unknown, you turned the other way around the table.

"I can't let you do that. Leave it alone! Now!" Connor shouted as he beat you to the punch and pulled Chris away from the deviant.

"I warned you motherfucker!" Gavin shouted and pulled his gun pointing it straight to Connor's temple.

As if on instinct you pulled your gun on him.

"L/N what the fuck!" Gavin yelled as he stared at you but kept his gun pointed at Connor. You thought for a moment that you must have gone crazy. Why the hell would you pull a gun on a fellow detective? For threatening Connor? An android? An android you just met? The same android that you yourself was getting annoyed by? Whatever thoughts were racing through your head you made sure the uncertainty of it all did not show on the outside. You kept your gun steady and focused on the bewildered Gavin.

"That's enough!" Hank finally intervened.

"You too, Hank?!" Gavin yelled, "Mind your own business."

"I said 'that's enough'" Hank said with finality as he pulled out his own pistol pointing to Gavin. Noticing he was outnumbered, Gavin finally relented.

"Fuck" Gavin gritted. "You're not going to get away with it this time," he said as he stared you down and pointed at Hank.

You finally relaxed and lowered your gun but not holstering it.

"Fuck this" Gavin griped as he stormed off. After a brief pause, Connor managed to calm the deviant and let it follow Chris out of the room. You finally holstered your gun as you let out a relieved sigh. You felt the tension leave your body and be replaced by pure exhaustion. Hank holstered his gun as he looked to both Connor then you.

"You should get some sleep. Who knows what Gavin has in store for you tomorrow." Hank said.

"Probably some half-assed paperwork and a list of unimaginative nicknames" You managed to joke.

"Ha." Hank let out a humorless chuckle as he exited the room. You must have been more exhausted than you thought because you jolted when a firm hand gripped your arm. You noticed that Connor was looking over at you as he gently shook your arm.

"Are you okay? Detective L/N?" he asked.

You gave a silent nod and he seemed a little relieved. As he released your arm, you snatched him as he started to walk away.

"Hey." he looked down to where your hand gripped his wrist and back up to your face "Why'd you stop me back there?"

Connor stared blankly at you. You swore you saw the glow on his head flicker but it was glowing a solid blue the next moment.

"Involving more people into the situation would be harder to control," he said matter of factly.

"And you have to always have the control?" you asked not letting him go.

"In order for me to perform my duties at optimal efficiency, yes" he answered. You finally let his arm go and shook your head

"Look, I may not have the tenure or rank that Lt. Anderson has but I am one of the top detectives in this precinct. And in order for _me_ to fulfill my duties at _optimal efficiency_ ," you noted sarcastically "I need people to respect my authority and NOT get in my way. That includes you" you glowered.

"My actions were not meant to undermine-" Connor started to argue.

"Barring me from taking necessary action to secure safety _is_ undermining my authority. You want to work with us?" You argued back "Then you got to trust us"

You didn't wait for his response as you walked out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear they are going to be friends eventually. And then more than friends eventually ;) Also didn't want the Reader to come off as arrogant but thought that she should feel pride in her job.


	3. Chapter 3

"Crap."

You took another sip of the coffee from the to-go cup as you stood still in front of the precinct. You told yourself that you wanted some decent coffee in the morning. That's why you parked your car a block away and ordered a coffee from the cafe down the street. You dragged your feet as you walked towards the office and now you were here. You let out another defeated sigh as you took a step forward. Last night's events replayed in your head. Gavin pulled a gun on Connor, you pulled a gun on Gavin, Hank pulled a gun on Gavin, and then you yelled at Connor. The implications of your actions were just starting to dawn on you and you didn't really want to deal with it.

"-tive L/N?" a voice rang through your clouded thoughts. You snapped out of your deep thoughts and saw Maria staring back at you. Her head was slightly tilted as her round eyes blinked at you. Your surprised eyes blinked blankly back.

"Are you okay, Detective L/N?" she probed. You shook your head rapidly to snap yourself awake.

"Ye...Yeah," you replied, "I was just thinking." You gave a half smile in response. To your surprise, Maria smiled back.

"Okay," she said brightly. "I hope you have a nice day!" To your sharp observation, you saw one of the guards by the gate look curiously at her. You put on the brightest smile you can muster without seeming suspicious.

"Thanks! Glad you are picking up some cheery greetings," you said as you walked towards the gate. You gave a small nod and smile to the guard as he nodded back at you. You quietly shelved this incident in your mind as your suspicions grew. You wondered if Maria noticed the slight changes in her own behavior. Still, it could just be an android learning additional functions. When you entered the office, you groaned loudly. You were right about Gavin. A stack of folders was waiting for you on top of your desk. You lifted one finger to open the folder on the very top of the stack. You let out a frustrating sigh. It was a 'robbery' case - if you could even call it that - in the city junkyard. You didn't even have to look at the rest of the files to know that it was a bunch of busy work that would make you go to places that were wet, stinky, dirty, or all of the above.

"What's all this?" You heard Captain Fowler's voice next to you. You straightened up your posture.

"Ask Reed," you muttered.

"I'm not asking him shit," Fowler replied. He gestured to one of the androids to come over and handed her the stack on your desk. "Find some officers to handle this. Give it to Detective Reed if you can't find anyone and say it's from me," he growled. You didn't even have time to feel smug before the captain's index finger was pointing straight at you. You had to tilt your head back and look cross-eyed to see the tip of his finger.

"You. In my office. Now." You gulped as you nodded and tossed the to-go cup in the trash. You silently followed the captain to his office with the decency to look at least a little guilty. He was already in his seat by the time you shut his door.

"Sit," he commanded. You took a seat and straightened your back, preparing yourself for the worst.

"I'm assuming that had to do with the shit show that happened last night," he started.

"If you mean by the interrogation that extracted a confession -" you replied carefully.

"I mean you pulling a gun on a fellow detective!" The captain ended in a shout which made you immediately shut your mouth. "Do you mind explaining to me why a detective would pull a gun on a fellow officer?!" he asked. Your breath was stuck in your throat before you let out a sigh.

"Okay," you relented. "I would like to preface with the fact that Detective Reed pulled a gun first and Lt. Anderson did the same," you reasoned. "I was standing right across from Detective Reed when he pulled his gun, so I pulled mine out of instinct." You know you were not telling the truth. Or at least the full truth. You knew that Gavin pulled the gun on Connor, not you. But how the hell are you going to explain to the captain that you risked a fellow detective's life in preference to that of an android's? The captain gave you a scrutinizing look and you made sure you kept a neutral face.

"You're lucky he pulled the gun first," the captain warned, "that's why I'm the one talking to you and not an internal investigation board." Your eyes widened and felt the heavy drop in your stomach. "That is also why I'm letting you go off with a warning," the captain finally spoke. You let out a sigh of relief.

"But," the captain warned and you were back to keeping your straight posture, "you and Reed need to learn how to get along, at least professionally. Fight each other in the training room if you have to but you do not, and I mean DO NOT, pull that shit in my precinct again. Is that clear?" he yelled.

You swallowed another gulp of air before you gave a firm nod. "Yes, sir."

"Good." The captain nodded as he tossed a folder at you. You almost missed it but caught it before it could fall on the floor. "I need you to go take care of these battery cases involving some deviants," Fowler explained.

"Thought that was Hank's case," you asked as you flipped through the papers.

"Well I don't see Hank here now, do I?" Fowler growled. You stared back up at him with a brow lifted - letting him know that wasn't really an answer. He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Lt. Anderson is in charge of figuring out what is causing these cases of deviancy. But these individual cases need to get resolved on their own as well."

"I understand," you replied.

"Good. Now get out," he nodded towards his door.

You carefully walked out of his office and down the small set of stairs that connected his office to the bullpen. When you reached the bottom of the stairs, you let out a sigh of relief. That could've gone worse. As you looked up, you noticed Connor walking through the office gates. You felt the air in your chest come out in stilted breaks. The tension in your muscles returned. As he scanned the room his eyes met yours staring at him again. This time you looked the other way without really moving your body. Your lips tightened in a thin line as you walked back towards your desk. It felt as though your knees and every part of your joints were cracking. You felt stiff as you tried to make sure you ignored Connor. When you finally made it to your seat, you made sure that your eyes stayed glued to your terminal. It took most of your brain power to just focus. You felt a little embarrassed and a little angry. Embarrassed that you let your emotions get the better of you last night but still angry because you were technically right to be angry. You took deep breaths to ease the tension in your body. A small thud landed on your desk and you saw a cup of coffee from the same cafe you went to that morning with a fresh steam escaping through the lid. The coffee was held by slender fingers. Your eyes trailed up to see Connor standing next to your desk.

"I wanted to apologize if I offended you in any way last night," Connor said, "I didn't mean to undermine your authority and hinder you from your goal," he explained. You gave a slight frown as your eyes kept moving back and forth between the cup of coffee and his face. You finally leaned back in your chair as you narrowed your eyes slightly, looking at him as though you were studying him.

"My goal?" You asked. You watched the light flicker yellow as he processed your question.

"Yes, you were trying to assist Officer Mullins in detaining the deviant," he replied with a nod. You pulled your lips between your teeth as you took in a deep breath. It was an old habit you picked up when you were contemplating something.

"Actually, I was trying to stop Chris," you replied as you laced your fingers together.

"I..." he faltered, "that was not the conclusion I came to."

"Hmm," you hummed as you sat back up and nodded casually. "Well I guess everyone makes mistakes," you amused. You looked towards the cup of coffee. "Is that for me?" The question seemed to snap Connor out of some deep thought.

"Ye...Yes. As an apology, some people like to give gifts," he said as though he was explaining a new fact. You reached both your hands as you grabbed the warm cup of coffee.

"Well," you smiled and took a long sip, "Apology accepted." He nodded as though he was satisfied. He almost looked proud of himself as his lips slightly curved upwards. That particular look brought an amused smile on your face. You tried to hide your mirth behind the coffee cup as you took another sip.

"If you're looking for Hank. He probably won't be here for awhile," you said as you turned your body towards your terminal again. You jerked your head towards Hank's desk. "You're welcome to wait by his desk. Might be a good idea to get to know him a bit if you're going to continue to work with him." You winked as you met his eyes again. "And if you get bored, feel free to help me with some of my cases."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really do love coffee.


	4. Chapter 4

'Ugh'. You kept tapping your pen impatiently against your notepad as the woman in front of you continued to ramble on. You took a quick glance around the luxurious living room in a penthouse apartment. The woman in front of you sniffled as she brought a silk handkerchief to her nose. Her hair was slightly disheveled and she was wearing a pale pink tweed suit. A small cut was on the side of her head as a paramedic hovered over her.

"I'm telling you, that thing just attacked me out of nowhere! It even had the nerve to steal my dog!" the woman shrieked in front of you. The paramedic must have touched a nerve as the woman snapped and pushed him away. "Watch it!" she yelled "I could have you fired if you give me a scar," she threatened.

"Mrs. Collins, could you please..." you insisted trying to calm the hysterical woman.

"I don't know what you want from me!" she redirected her screaming to you. You took a sharp breath to quickly calm your rapidly increasing annoyance. You took a glance at your notes before you spoke out in a calm tone.

"You told us that your household android attacked you out of nowhere. What happened before the attack? Can you think of anything that may have caused your android to behave this way?" you asked.

"I don't like your tone, miss," you raised an eyebrow to her calling you 'miss'.

"It's detective," you corrected her - not hiding your anger this time. She rolled her eyes at you saying "whatever" under her breath.

"That freak threatened my life and stole a prize-winning dog! Now do your job and find him!" She shouted as she abruptly stood up and tried to get in your face. You firmly placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her back down to her seat.

"Don't manhandle me!" she yelled as she slapped your hand away. It took all your willpower not to snap back at her. You were no doctor but a scratch like that wouldn't be even considered an injury let alone an assault. The paramedics even said that no stitches were needed. You took another quick glance around the room and noticed patches of red spots on the otherwise pristine carpet. Blood? You looked over to Mrs. Collins. Again her scratch barely warranted any amount of blood. You nodded an officer over and asked for her to take a sample of the liquid.

"Do you have a chip in your dog? For registration and tracking purposes?" you asked as you turned back towards the victim.

"Of course," Mrs. Collins responded as she shook her hair away from her face "I even have insurance on that thing," she replied smugly. This time you did roll your eyes at her but before the indignant housewife could say anything, you beat her to the punch.

"Alright," you sighed, "I think we have enough for now. We'll secure the premise, do a quick patrol around the area, and look into tracking down the dog," you said as you looked at Chris and another officer. "The paramedics will take care of you, Mrs. Collins," you said as you grabbed Chris' shoulders and led him out of the apartment with you.

"So what caused the deviancy?" Chris asked in a low voice.

"Who the hell knows. Maybe it's her incessant whiny voice," you muttered as you looked back towards the apartment. Chris snorted and gave you an amused grin. You shook your head in defeat as you pulled out your phone. "Make sure you ask the neighbors too if they saw anything. I'll leave this site to you and I'll look into the dog tracker," you explained. Chris nodded and instructed the remaining officers of their duties. You called the lab to see if they could get a GPS location on the dog chip. Five minutes after the phone call, your phone pinged again with a location. You jogged towards your car and noticed the rain clouds were coming in. Great.

By the time you made it to the location, the wipers on your car were working overtime. You noticed on the map that the tracker was at the end of a dead-end alleyway. You parked your car blocking the entrance to the alleyway to secure the premise. The heavy rain definitely compromised your vision but you managed to see a human figure slouched in the corner. You gently pulled out your gun and walked slowly towards the figure.

"DPD!" You shouted. The figure's head snapped up and the first thing you recognized was the bright red ring on his temple. His straight black hair stuck to his skin as his eyes fluttered in the pouring rain. You recognized him from the pictures that Mrs. Collins gave you. But instead of a soulless android, you saw someone who was genuinely scared. You caught yourself and put your guard back up after the brief moment of sympathy.

"Hands where I can see them!" You shouted again as you pointed your gun at him. Another step forward and you could see he was shivering. You assumed that androids can't feel cold. Was he shaking for a different reason? You took another tentative step forward and the deviant flinched. You made a slight upward gesture with your gun. The deviant slowly unwrapped his arms around himself and lifted them above his head. You reached one hand behind your back to grab a pair of handcuffs until you saw something that made you go still.

On top of the android's lap was a bundle of white fur stained in red and blue blood. The small bundle whimpered as it tried to bury itself in the warmth of the deviant. You took another careful step to make sure that the small bundle was indeed the 'prize-winning dog'. Except it didn't look as pedigreed as Mrs. Collins described him to be. It looked beaten and broken and in closer inspection, you could tell that one of the dog's legs was broken. You glared at the deviant in front of you.

"Did you do this?" you growled. Your tone must have surprised the deviant or scared him or maybe both. His eyes widened as he rapidly shook his head.

"N..No!" he shouted in a broken voice, "he just wanted to protect me. She hurts me sometimes but I don't feel pain. He does!" the android panicked. He started to look wildly between you and the dog on his lap. "He needed help so he cried, and cried, and cried, and cried, and -" You immediately recognized the increased stress in his body and you lept into action. You immediately holstered your gun and extended both of your arms out.

"Hey, hey, hey" you slowly shushed as you bent your knees. "Calm down, ok? Just take some deep breaths" you instructed as you took in a deep breath yourself. The deviant stopped talking but he continued to cry as he watched the dog. The dog looked up to the android and whined as he rested his head on the android's lap. You replayed the deviant's words in your head as you quietly observed the pair in front of you. The android was covered with small little scars and weird dents on his arms and neck. The dog had a broken hind leg and bleeding somewhere but you weren't sure where. A deep frown started to set on your face.

"What's your name?" You asked as you stared at the sleeping dog. The android lifted his head and you met your eyes with his.

"St...Steven" The android stuttered. You awkwardly nodded as you pointed at the dog.

"Is that Maximus?" You asked calmly. The android looked down slowly again as he gave you a silent nod. "Did Maximus attack Mrs. Collins because she was hurting you?" you tried to keep your calming tone to make sure he didn't panic again. He gave you another silent nod. "And then what happened?" you asked this time with a bit of a firm voice.

"I...I don't know" Steve whispered, "I just wanted to get him out of there so..." Steven's eyes moved side to side as though he was trying to remember "I pushed her" he said as if it finally dawned on him what he did. Well, so he technically did attack her. Now you had to arrest this deviant, who was scared, wet, and hurt just so he could be deactivated. Not only that, but protocol demands that you return the dog to the person who did this in the first place. An indignant feeling welled up inside you, threatening to burst. Where was the justice in that?

"We need to get him to a hospital." You said as you tried to reach for the dog. Sensing movement, the dog growled at you baring his teeth.

"He doesn't really like humans," Steven whispered, "doesn't trust them." You looked up to see Steven staring back at you. You wondered if he meant the dog or himself. You huffed as you stood up and headed back to your car. You popped open the trunk and pulled out a first aid kit, an oversized sweatshirt, and a blanket. You carried the supplies back to the corner of the alley and unceremoniously placed them on the ground. You gently tossed the blanket to the android.

"Wrap the dog with the blanket and hand him to me." You instructed. The android seemed to contemplate for a moment before he finally did as he was told. It took a while for the dog to feel comfortable enough to be held by you but when the dog stopped growling, you gently carried him back to your car. By the time you returned to the scene, Steven was standing albeit on wobbly feet as he leaned against a wall. You picked up the sweatshirt and the first aid kit and handed them over to him.

"Not sure if this actually helps you heal but it should do its job covering the blue blood and this thing," you said as you tapped the side of your temple. His widened eyes stared blankly at you.

"What about Maximus?" he asked worriedly.

"I'll take care of it. He won't be going back to her," you said as you continued to have a hard time meeting his eyes. After a brief pause, the deviant spoke again.

"What about...me?" he asked. You took a deep breath as you willed yourself to look him in the eyes.

"I can't help you. Not unless you want to wind up in some evidence room in a basement. As far as I know, I tracked down the dog's chip and found him here alone," you said in a stiff tone to emphasize the last word. You swiftly turned your back on him and got into your car. As you turned on the ignition, the headlights of your car shone at the deviant standing. You stared back as you adjusted and readjusted your grip on the steering wheel. The deviant stood limply as he stared at your car through the heavy rain. You saw his eyes looking so helpless and sad. You took a moment to watch his broken body and turned to stare at the dog buried in the blanket.

"Fuck" you cursed between your breath and drove the car away

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that we didn't get any Connor interaction in the chapter. I had to cut the chapter here or it was going to be too long. I promise there will be one tomorrow! I'll be following the pacifist route of the game. I also want to stick close to what happens to the game so FYI - Connor won't become a deviant until the Jericho incident happens. Also, I changed the rating to M but will change back to E once a smut is actually introduced. ;)


	5. Chapter 5

You stared through the window to see that the rain had stopped. Not that it mattered, you were thoroughly soaked to the bone. Maybe you felt the chills from the cold wet clothes because you started to feel oddly numb. Strangely, you preferred the numbness than letting your mind go through what had happened.

"Y/N!" a voice shouted through your blank thoughts. You snapped your attention back to the doctor in front of you. You tried to clear your head before you addressed the vet.

"Sorry. Could you repeat that?" you asked. The vet nodded and gave you a worried look that you brushed off.

"I said that you can pick the dog up in a couple of days. We set the leg but I would still like to monitor his condition before we give an all clear," the vet smiled reassuringly. "We have 24-hour staffing here so feel free to visit him anytime you'd like".

"Thank you, doctor," you shook the vet's hand as you made your way out of the building. During the entire car ride back to the station, the image of the broken android standing in the rain kept flashing through your thoughts. Should you have let him go? What if he was lying? Your instincts told you to believe his story but what if it was an elaborate act to garner sympathy? Androids were superior to humans. What if they were smart enough to manipulate humans? Conflicting thoughts and stress clouded your mind as you parked your car and walked down the block towards the station. You noticed two figures walking towards you down the other side of the block. As you continued to walk, you recognized that it was Hank and Connor. You stood in front of the office building as you waited for them to get closer. Hank looked over you carefully before he spoke.

"Just got out of the shower kid?" Hank amused. You looked down to see your wet state and looked back up at him.

"Long day," you replied listlessly. Hank scoffed as he turned around to give a Connor a look that you missed.

"Same," he gruffed in response. "Some wild goose chase that almost got me killed." You stared up at him in bewilderment.

"Well, I need a drink." Hank sighed as he stretched. You watched as Hank awkwardly give Connor a pat on his shoulders before he walked past you. Connor wordlessly watched with you as Hank trudged along. Your eyes left his retreating figure when you felt the prickling on the back of your head. You turned around to see Connor watching you.

"It might be a good idea for you to change into some dry clothes, detective," Connor implored as he took a step towards you. You pulled at the wet shirt that was still stuck to you. Your mind was a million miles away when you suddenly felt a jacket plop over your shoulders. You looked up to see Connor standing over you without his jacket.

"Your temperature is not ideal, detective L/N, you'll catch a cold," he warned. You were so aware of the fact that he was an android, but at the moment the firm grip on your arm and shoulder felt so comforting and so _human_.

"Yea," you whispered. "You're right," you cleared your throat and turned towards the building. Connor wordlessly followed behind you as you walked into the building. You saw Maria glance over at you with a worrying look while she dealt with a visitor. You gave her a gentle smile back and walked briskly to the gates. You made your way straight to the locker room. You dried yourself off and changed into some backup clothes stored in your locker. As you turned to gather your wet clothes, you noticed Connor's jacket. You gently picked it up with both hands and carefully folded it in half and draped it across your forearm. You used the other arm to gather the wet clothes and put them in a plastic bag. By the time you reached the bullpen, you were surprised to see Connor sitting by your desk.

"Were you waiting for me this whole time?" you asked as you turned to look at Connor.

"Yes." Connor stood up from his seat. "I wanted to make sure you were alright. You didn't seem..." he paused "yourself a couple of moments ago."

"Oh," you noted in a mild surprise. "Well, I think I'm a little better now. Here," you said as you gave Connor back his jacket. He thanked you and pulled his jacket on and straightened his tie.

"I was also wondering if you found anything useful that might help us in the investigation? Officer Mullins briefed me about an assault case earlier today." Connor turned slightly towards Chris who was hunched over his desk doing some paperwork.

"Told you it was hardly an assault case," Chris said exasperatedly and turned around from his chair. "The woman was a pain in the ass but it did involve a deviant so I thought you should know," he shrugged at Connor.

"It's alright, Connor. I'm sure Officer Mullins and I can handle it," you said as you gave Chris a half smile and sat down at your own desk. You hated the fact that you had to lie to Chris. And now you had to figure out a plan to stonewall him until the case went cold. How the fuck did you get into this mess?

"Still, I'd like to be of some help," Connor said as he sat down. You rested your chin with your arm propped up on the desk as you stared at Connor. Without your notice, the small corners of your lips quirked up. Before you could respond, your phone pinged. You straightened up and grabbed the phone. You took a moment to read the message before you turned to Connor again.

"When you told Lt. Anderson that you liked dogs, was that true? or was it just some strategy to get him to like you?" you asked curiously. You smirked as Chris stilled and turned slightly towards the two of you intent on eavesdropping.

Connor seemed to give the question a good thought before answering. "I see no reason to dislike dogs. They are a great companion and are capable of great support," Connor answered.

"Good answer," Chris amused as you let out a chuckle.

"Just curious," you said as you stood up and grabbed your things. "You can come help with something now if you want," you announced as you turned to Connor. He stood up eagerly and nodded to you. You bid Chris good night and left the building with Connor following behind you.

After a short drive, Connor got out of the car after you parked. He looked up to see the building in front of him.

"An animal hospital," Connor asked as he turned around to look at you curiously. You gave him a nonchalant nod as you walked around the car and into the building. After you entered the building, you gave the receptionist your name and he led you to a room with a windowed door. The room was quite small with a small couch in one corner and few dog toys littered across the floor. You took a seat at one end of the couch and Connor took a seat next to you.

"Is there a reason why we're here, detective?" Connor asked as he turned to you. Before you could reply, you heard the door click. Both of you stood up as you watched a doctor gently hold a small Maltese dog with a bright pink cast on one of its hind legs. The doctor gave you a small smile and gently set the dog down on the floor in front of you.

"I'll give you guys a moment," the doctor smiled as he exited the room. You silently sat back down and Connor followed suit. You watched as the dog looked up, sniffing the air around him. He faltered slightly as he tried to stand on his legs but managed to find his balance. He carefully approached you and sniffed the toes of your shoes then Connor's. His tail which rested between his legs slowly started to rise and wag as he looked up at Connor. He let out a small bark and placed his front paws on Connor's knees as his tail wagged happily.

"He likes you," you amused. "I had a feeling he might." Connor's hand rose tentatively and started petting the dog in front of him.

"He's a Maltese registered as Maximus under the ownership of Rebecca Collins," he observed as he continued to pet the dog. Your amused smile faltered as you felt the pit of your stomach drop. "She's the victim of your assault case earlier today," he stated as he turned to you. You cleared your throat as you leaned back into the couch, trying to hide.

"Yea. She didn't want him anymore so I'll be taking care of him for the time being," you said while you habitually pulled at some invisible lint on your pants. An agonizing moment of silence passed before Connor spoke again.

"I see," he paused, "did you have a new name in mind?" Connor asked as he resumed petting the dog. You shifted your gaze towards the dog. You remembered how broken he looked in the rain trying to use Steven as a cover. Images of the dog and the deviant in the rain kept flashing in your mind.

"Yeah. Steve," you answered almost mindlessly.

"Steve the dog," Connor said with an amused tone in his voice. It was the first time you heard any sort of genuine inflection in his voice. You looked up at him curiously. A graceful smile was on his face as he continued to pet the dog. What were you doing? You let a deviant escape, stole the dog from the victim, lied to your friends at work, and now you were mesmerized by the smile of the deviant hunter, who also happens to be an android. You could just conjure up the image of you digging your own grave now. You were a smart and capable detective, so when were you going to start acting like one?

"I don't believe you are telling me the full truth, detective." Connor started to speak while his attention was still on the dog and oblivious to the war inside your mind. Your breath stopped in your throat as panic rose in your mind. You took a startling breath and opened your mouth to say something but Connor spoke again. He turned around this time with his warm brown eyes staring back at you intently. "but I trust you."

And suddenly, you think you might cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3 C


	6. Chapter 6

Working inside a police station usually made it hard to distinguish night from day. The place was always bustling with patroling units walking in and out of the office, secretarial androids walking from desk to desk, and phones constantly ringing off the hook. These days you couldn't find a moment of silence or peace as reports of deviant androids continued to increase. But tonight you found yourself sitting alone in the bullpen with your desk light being a beacon in a rather dimmed room. Android patrol units still walked in and out of their stations but they never really paid anyone attention and they don't need bright lights like humans do. You looked at your terminal and saw that the time read 2:30 am. You groaned as you leaned back in your seat. Time does fly by when you have endless amount of paperwork to turn in the next day. You tossed your pen on the desk and watched vacantly as it rolled and hit the side of your coffee mug that was now cold. You found yourself getting lost in your thoughts. All your interactions with any android kept running through your mind but you couldn't really understand how and when you became a deviant sympathiser. You didn't think you were one but you knew that's what people would call you if they found out how many androids you have let off the hook. You leaned your head back against your chair as you let out a stressful sigh. You closed your eyes hoping it will keep the incoming headache at bay but scrunched your brows as it came nonetheless. You felt a gentle grip on your shoulder and looked up to see who it was. A moment of silence passed between you two as you stared curiously at each other. You were the first to break the moment as you sat back up in your chair.

"Working pretty late don't you think?" You asked.

"I could ask you the same thing, detective." He answered back.

"Paperwork," you gave a smirk as your hand moved across your desk as though you were presenting a prize to Connor.

"I could help if you like," Connor said as he sat down next to your desk.

"No I got it," you shook your head, "this is my doing anyway. Always procrastinating my paperwork" you smiled as you tried to refocus your mind at the task at hand. However, when you looked over at Connor, his appearance caught your attention. You noticed a stray hair dip in front of his forehead and the slightly loosened tie around his neck. You wouldn't call it disheveled by any means, but for someone who was immaculately dressed, he looked like a mess. You narrowed your eyes as you also noticed that his shoulders looked damp, probably from the snow outside.

"Any interesting case today?" You asked as you leaned back to face Connor.

He gave you a small smile "Are you trying to procrastinate more, detective?" Connor asked slyly.

You let out a small laugh. Apparently, Connor can tease. "Detective Reed came in earlier about bumping into Hank and that 'fucking android' at Eden Club. I'm assuming he's talking about you?" You noticed the teasing smile on Connor falter as his eyes wandered off to the side. It was such a human reaction and one that you think he did without noticing himself.

"We're not making much progress on the investigation," Connor admitted "and..." he trailed off as his hands idly fiddled with a pen on your desk. "Lt. Anderson seemed conflicted about the investigation."

"About what?" you gently probed

"We found two deviants at Eden Club but they managed to escape before we could learn anything from them," He said as he rolled the pen away from him "Lt. Anderson seemed to believe they were actually in love"

"They said they were in love?" you asked unable to hide the surprise in your voice. Connor answered with a silent nod. You weren't sure how to process the information. If a cynic like Hank believed that they were in love, then it was most likely true. However if androids can feel such complex emotions such as love, then they were far more complicated than you thought them to be. You cast a worried glance at Connor who seemed to be processing his own thoughts as well.

You slowly straightened your posture as you leaned forward. "Say, Connor, what makes an android a deviant?"

Connor seemed confused as he looked over to you. "You deal with deviants every day, detective." You pursed your lips and gave a half nod and a half shrug.

"But only related to crimes, either the owner reports a missing property, or the deviant commits an assault or murder," you paused before you spoke again. "Can an android become deviant and still perform its original function? How does an android become a deviant?" you asked. Connor took some moment and leaned forward as he rested his elbows on his knees.

"When an android receives contradicting commands, it can be overwhelmed while trying to process them. It can feel rather... unpleasant. Thus they act irrationally," Connor explained.

"So irrational behavior defines a deviant?" you asked. Connor leaned back as his hands started to make gestural moves.

"Disobeying its primary command would be the sure sign of deviancy" Connor replied. You mirrored his posture as you tap your finger against your lips in deep concentration. You didn't see the way that Connor started to observe you with intense curiosity.

"But life is full of contradictions," you argued as you shook your head, "if an android interacted with enough variety of people or was activated for a long enough time, surely they would encounter something that contradicts its primary command." You noticed in surprise as Connor stilled and his temple blinked red for a moment. He seemed to snap out and looked at your wide eyes.

"You are arguing that deviancy is an inevitable outcome," Connor said

"Maybe," you replied as you looked at him worriedly still wondering what just happened. "Maybe deviancy isn't the problem. Maybe we're just looking at this the wrong way..." you trailed off.

"CyberLife thinks the rapid spread of deviancy is a problem," Connor said as he looked across the bullpen, "that's why they made me. That is my primary objective." You refocused your attention to Connor. You stared at him as an odd feeling of conviction rose up through your body.

"You may think that. CyberLife may think that" you started "but I don't think you're just a solution to a problem. I don't think we're looking at this the way we should because you..." Your brain halted your speech mid-sentence. For Christ sakes what were you trying to say? You know what you wanted to say. You wanted to tell him he could offer so much more to the world, you wanted to tell him his existence is beyond a corporate solution because....shit....because he means something to you. You snapped up when you felt his hands on yours.

"Y/N." You caught yourself being drawn to his low voice and gaze. You noted this is the first time he has ever called you by your name and the very idea of it made your heart flutter. Great, now you were acting like a love sick school girl. You let out a listless chuckle. You were screwed.

You shook your head. "It's late. My mind isn't the sharpest thing at 3 o'clock in the morning." You stretched out your back before you lifted yourself off the chair. You gathered your things and passed by Connor who was still seated. You stopped by his side as he looked up to you. You gently picked up his stray hair between your fingers and tucked it in place. His eyes fluttered close as your hand passed in front of them. You were definitely screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY. Life and all the suckiness of it got the best of me for a moment there. Also, the story is just not living up to par with what I had in mind but that's more due to my lack of experience/skill and wanting to rush through the whole writing process. BUT I think it's best I just get it out there warts and all than letting it fester in my mind. I want to give big thank yous and loves to everyone who left positive, constructive, and encouraging comments. I will continue on with the story but just wanted to say how much I appreciate the support big and small. 
> 
> P.S. In an effort to be more consistent I will not be updating this story every day but every Tue, Fri, and Sunday. (PST)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Gun Violence

'Well, shit.'

You reached for the remote and hit pause. A bare android was staring at you through the TV screen and you were staring right back with a stunned look on your face. A small bark from the kitchen snapped you awake from your running thoughts. Steve trotted over as he continued to playfully bark completely unaware of the shit show that was happening before you.

"Yeah, yeah," you muttered as you headed towards the kitchen to give the dog his food. You stared back at the TV. The deviants were no longer a Detroit issue, it just became national. You leaned heavily against the counter and tapped your fingers anxiously. After numerous thoughts rushed through your head, you pushed yourself back up and turned to the dog with a pointed finger. "You be good," you warned the dog who only replied with a bark and a wagging tail.

Your car drive to the station was filled with talks about the new deviant problem on the radio. After being so fed up with the opinions and conspiracy theories thrown around on air, you shut the radio off and drove in silence. Even then you could see crowds with picket signs starting to form through your window. You could feel the tension in the air as you drove through the city. You felt like your muscles were going to jump at any moment. The palms of your hands were damp and let out a soft squeak as you squeezed the steering wheel. You took deep breaths to calm your nerves. It didn't seem to get better even after you arrived at the station.

"Hey Maria," you greeted as you approached the receptionist. You took your time as you laid both of your hands flat on the counter that separated the two of you.

"Detective L/N?" Maria looked a bit surprised, "your work hours do not start for another 18 hours."  
You nodded your head as you made a casual observation of the lobby. There was one officer who stood by the gate that separated the office and couple of civilians in line next to you.

"I'm assuming most officers have gone to the broadcasting station," you observed. Maria looked up at you nervously and gave you a nod. You tugged your bottom lip between your teeth as you looked at Maria. "You were one of the first androids to work at the station huh?" you tried to sound sympathetic as possible. Maria gave you a surprised look and gave a wordless nod. You watched as she slowly started avoiding your eyes and wring her fingers together. She couldn't even hide the fact that she was scared. An idea was starting to form inside your head when a loud bang interrupted your thoughts.

"Get in there you motherfucker!" Gavin yelled as he roughly pushed a beaten android forward. You can see the blue blood dripping from the android's temple as he struggled to even walk properly through the doors. Regardless of the broken state of the android, Gavin kicked him in the back sending him to stumble down to the floor.

"Hey!" you yelled reactively to the violence unfolding before you. "What the fuck, Reed!" You stared down at Gavin who was huffing and carrying an infuriating smirk. You knelt down to grab the android by one of his arms as you firmly pulled him up to stand never breaking your eye contact with the annoying detective.

"What?" Gavin shrugged "This thing here got caught shoplifting at a convenience store."

" _You_ did this to him?" You yelled indignantly.

"Yeah, so what?" Gavin sauntered over with a shit eating grin on his face "You saw the news, they just declared war on us," Gavin nodded towards the deviant that was now shaking and cowering next to you. It hunched over as it kept muttering words that you could not decipher."Shut up!" Gavin yelled as he reached to push the android by the head. Before you could react and push Gavin away, the deviant reached and grabbed your holstered gun and pointed it towards the both of you.

It was as though everything was slowed down. You saw the gun in his hands and the barrel of the gun turning towards you. His hand reached up to unlock and cock the gun. Your brain screamed to do something but it was not expecting for your body to turn towards the shooter to tackle him. A loud bang rang through the room and you felt your body hit the floor hard. Screams and shouts erupted around you but somehow all you could hear was your rapid breathing. Feeling an unfamiliar weight on top of you and a lack of pain, you opened your eyes and saw Maria staring back at you.

Another gunshot rang and you saw her flinch. Running on pure adrenaline and instinct you grabbed her and ran for the closest cover. "Fuck!" you yelled as you looked over the overturned desk. The deviant somehow found his way to grab a civilian and hold her hostage. You reached for your own gun forgetting the fact that it was stolen. "Fuck. Fuck!" you whispered. You did a slight double take as it took you a moment to realize that Maria was next to you. Maria. That Maria. She was cowering low and shaking. You turned towards her and gripped both her shoulders

"What were you thinking?!" you whispered harshly. She kept her eyes down as she rapidly shook her head. You peaked above the covers again to assess the situation. More officers were on the scene and all of them were pointing their own guns at the deviant with the hostage. Thankfully you found yourself with their back turned to you. You also noticed some civilians hiding underneath the table near the back as well. You searched your pockets to find your keys and wrapped both your hands around Maria's to grip them. "Maria look at me. Look at me" you urged as you cupped her face to lift it up. "When I tell you to you need to sneak back towards the garage ok? Exit the building and take the 38 bus to my place. You can access my information and my address right?" you waited until Maria nodded her head affirmative. "I have spare keys in my desk, so keep the keys with you and do not open the door for anyone," you warned. Maria nodded in understanding and you firmly nodded back. You quickly and quietly ran towards the civilians, making sure to keep your height low. You gently coaxed them out and guided them towards the back exit for an evacuation. You gave a pointed look at Maria and a firm nod. She followed the civilians closely and disappeared quickly down the hall.

Once out of sight, you turned back towards the situation in hand. That was when you finally heard Gavin's voice ring through the lobby.

"I said drop the gun!" he yelled.

The deviant kept muttering "no" as he rapidly shook his head. You looked around to see the handful of officers left in the office point their guns at him. You slowly walked past them to stand in front of the android with your hands raised. Noticing your proximity, the deviant trained his gun on you. You stilled and took a deep breath and did your best to sound as calm as possible.

"What's your name?" you asked. The android was crying now and he kept shaking his head. You waited a moment hoping that he could respond.

"Look, my name is Y/N," you said as you placed one hand over your heart "I know you're scared and hurt. Maybe I can help." You coaxed gently hoping to calm this android that kept looking more unstable by the minute. The android now openly wept as he kept a firm arm around the hostage but the gun focused on you. You pressed your luck to keep talking.

"Why are you doing this?" you gently probed. It was as though the android didn't hear you as he calmed down a bit. The outright sobs were reduced to sniffles as he blinked his eyes free from the falling tears. He looked up with a determined look that sent a chill down your spine.

"You can't help me," he said defeatedly as his grip around the hostage loosened and his arm holding the gun stretched a bit forward. Once again everything happened at once. You saw the hostage take the opportunity to turn and run away and then a gunshot rang behind you. Before you could react to the unexpected noise, you saw the deviant's body jerk as though he was hit and his own gun spark. It was then that you felt a sharp impact to your arm that knocked you off your balance. You stumbled down to the floor and a permeating sharp pain burned through your arm. It must have been the adrenaline because your thoughts were surprisingly clear. You saw the deviant's body drop lifelessly on the floor. You watched as the other officers surrounded the deviant and shot another bullet in the deviant's head. You heard worried voices around you that didn't really sound clear. Your heart was beating miles per minute as you felt someone wrap something painfully tight around your arm. It wasn't until the paramedics laid you on the gurney and you watched them shut the ambulance door that you let yourself lose consciouness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mentions of blood and needles  
> This chapter does take place in an emergency room. The mention of blood is minimal but if you are squeamish just wanted to give you a warning.
> 
> Sorry for the wait but I am determined to see this through!

"What the hell happened to you?!" Hank's angry voice rang through an already bustling emergency room. Your eyes widened at the sight of Hank and Connor standing in the middle of the emergency room while nurses and cops rushed around them.

"What the hell are you doing here?" you asked back as two nurses pushed your gurney to an empty bed in a corner. Hank struggled to find an empty spot next to your bed as nurses and doctors started hooking you up to their system and throwing jargons that you couldn't bother to understand. A nurse ripped the sleeve of your shirt and gently applied pressure on your wound. You hissed and flinched at the stinging pain.

"Looks like we need to numb the area more," the nurse muttered as she rushed away from the bed. The whirlwind that surrounded you disappeared as fast as it started.

"There was a shooting at the precinct," you started. Hank cursed as you stared curiously at your wound. Working in the field that you do, the sight of blood didn't really bother you. You resisted the urge to poke at the edges yourself. It finally dawned on you that this was your first time being shot. You've incurred injuries while chasing suspects but never been shot. In a way, it was a clean shot, but you rolled your eyes at the thought that you were also technically shot by your own gun. "Not sure if anyone else got hurt..." you trailed off. The nurse from earlier walked in and gently laid your arm on top of a small table next to a needle.

"This might sting" she warned before she inserted the needle near your wound.

You felt the slight pressure of the needle as it pierced your skin. And while the pain was minimal, actually seeing the needle did make you feel slightly woozy. You turned towards Hank, "what _are_ you doing here? Thought you guys were at the broadcasting station." You asked hoping it will distract you from the needle.

"There was a shooting at the station as well" Hank muttered.

"What the -" you stopped mid-sentence as Hank raised his hand in a gesture to assure you.

"No major injuries," Hank mindlessly nodded over his shoulders "Wonderboy stopped it from escalating too far"

"Wonderboy?" You asked curiously, "You mean Connor?"

"Who else?" Hank muttered. You couldn't help but let out a small laugh at Hank's nickname. Hank could bitch and moan all he wants but it was obvious to you that Connor was starting to grow on him.

Speaking of which, "Where is he?" you asked as you noticed he wasn't by Hank's side.

"He's probably sitting in the waiting room now. The kid had a rough day" Hank sighed.

"Why? What happened? Is he okay?" you asked worriedly not really giving Hank a chance to answer. Hank raised a single brow at the line of your questioning that you brushed off with an awkward cough. "I'm just curious," you mumbled.

"Uh huh," Hank said looking completely unconvinced at your excuse. Before you could continue the conversation a doctor peaked through the curtains with a gentle smile. Taking his cue, Hank absentmindedly waved at you.

"You should worry about yourself instead," Hank said as he walked out of the room. You rolled your eyes before you greeted the doctor as he proceeded to lay the tools to stitch you back. You leaned your back against the bed and tried to keep the anxiety at bay. You took deep slow breaths as you stared up at the ceiling. Your mind wandered to observing the odd patterns of the ceiling when a smooth hand slid into yours. You jumped slightly that made the doctor step back slightly and give you a warning look. You looked up apologetically and turned to see Connor looking worriedly down at you.

"Hey" you greeted in a gentle voice as you a new wave of nerves entered your body.

"I thought you might need some support, detective," Connor said matter-of-factly "This is your first time dealing with a gunshot wound." The heartwarming gesture was in deep contrast to his logic bound voice. You gripped his hand a little tighter.

"How do you know it's my first time?" you asked him playfully.

"I..." Connor's eyes wandered to the side making him look slightly bashful, "I accessed your career records."

You let out a breathless chuckle "I thought I told you that's not polite."

"I just wanted to see if you have dealt with situations like this before" Connor explained.

A situation like what? you thought humorously. Being shot by a deviant? Getting excited because Connor who also happens to be an android is holding your hand? When was the last time you had feelings for anyone for that matter? As your mind started to berate your for the ridiculous situation you put yourself in, you noticed a slight tear on Connor's sleeve. Actually, he was a bit of a mess as you slightly looked over him. There was a giant rip in the middle of his shirt and his tie was gone. You lifted your hand to slightly open his jacket.

"What happened?" you asked.

Connor wordlessly reached and grabbed your hand before he settled it back to the top of the bed. "I was interrogating a possible deviant and things got out of hand" he explained. You still gave him a worried look and he responded with a gentle smile. "Don't worry detective, androids do not feel pain".

You frowned as you looked over his face. Somehow the smile was less convincing and it was becoming clear that he was hiding something behind it. You felt his hands around you tighten as he gently rubbed his thumb across the top of your hand. You looked down to see your joined hands and you responded with your own grip, letting him know that you trusted him. A peaceful silence settled between you and Connor as the doctor finished up on your arm. Connor never let go of your hand and the gentle caress of his thumb against your skin almost lulled you to sleep. The doctor finished up by wrapping bandages around your arm and writing you a prescription for some antibiotics. As the doctor left your bed, a strange man in a trench coat approached you paired with two national security guards.  
You furrowed your brows as you sat up in alarm.

"Detective L/N?" the man asked.

"Yes..." you confirmed hesitantly as the man seemed to pull his wallet out of his coat. He flipped it open to show you his badge and ID. FBI. Great.

"Special Agent Perkins," the man presented himself. "I was hoping to ask you some questions regarding what happened at the precinct."

"Hey wait a minute here!" Hank yelled angrily as he busted through the curtains, "this isn't your case!"

It took a minute for you to read the room. With the deviant broadcast and two public shooting including deviants, it was obvious the feds wanted a piece of this. However judging by what Hank was yelling about, it wasn't official yet.

"Well," You started carefully "I already told Lt. Anderson all the details regarding the shooting" - a lie - "so you can ask him if you want to know more about the case." You tried to maintain your neutral look but it was hard with Hank looking so smug as he crossed his arm. Perkins let out a sigh as he folded his badge and straightened his posture.

"Well that's fine Ms. L/N," he said, "Do you mind we accompany you to your apartment then?"

"What? Why?" You asked confused

"It would be more apt to talk there since you currently are listed as a person of interest," he said with an infuriating smirk on his face.

"What?" Hank yelled indignantly and Connor sat up straighter.

"Excuse me?!" you yelled feeling baffled.

"Well despite your division going on an active deviant hunt you failed to apprehend any deviants. Not only that but you are on record to be rather close to a missing android in your precinct, an AT300 going by the name Maria, as well as other androids." Perkins stated as poignantly looked down to your hands joined by with Connor's. Noticing his stare, you quickly let go of Connor's hand and ran your hand through your hair.

"Hey, now you look..."Hank started to walk threateningly towards the agent. You stretched your hand out to stop Hank and addressed the agent calmly.

"Look, Agent Perkins," you started

"Special agent Perkins," he corrected.

Really? You paused to give him a slightly baffled look and rolled your eyes at him. "Ok..." you drawled "Special agent Perkins," you resumed sarcastically, "I'm not a conspirator and I have nothing to hide," You gave a professional smile and waited until Perkins smirked in triumph.

"But," you warned as your face dropped to glare "I don't need to remind you that if you want to search a person's apartment, you need to get a warrant. And to get a warrant you need to go to a judge with a probable cause. And I'm willing to bet that no judge will think that being a decent person and not a dick is considered a probable cause."

Perkins let out an angry huff as he glared at you. "If you were innocent as you state, you could prove that by complying and helping us expedite the investigation" Perkins replied. You felt your heart rate rise and your face get heated but you used all willpower you could muster to give him a smile and tut at him.

"It's innocent until proven guilty," you replied in a melodic tune "not the other way around."

"I was hoping you could work with us here, detective" Perkins persisted in a warning tone. His annoying face and smug voice were now eating at the last thread of your patience.

"Well," you sighed exasperatedly "I was hoping not to get bombarded by whatever _this_ is," you vaguely gestured your hand around to indicate him and his lackeys "in a hospital room after I got shot but here I am."

"You might regret this, L/N," He gave you the last warning.

"It's detective L/N," you replied in a threatening voice, "and you can close the curtains on your way out"


End file.
